Piedmont Newton Hospital has been named a Maternity Care Access Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice.

This designation recognizes hospitals offering essential maternity services to underserved communities and is also part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings. These ratings are intended to assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care providers, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family’s needs. Now in its third year, the Maternity Care Access Hospital designation recognizes essential hospitals serving communities that would otherwise be in danger of becoming maternity care deserts if they were to stop providing crucial maternity care services.

U.S. News evaluated approximately 900 hospitals nationwide for the 2026 ratings, and just 147 hospitals – or 16% of all evaluated hospitals – have been designated as Maternity Care Access Hospitals. Hospitals were evaluated based on detailed data submitted to U.S. News via the annual Maternity Services Survey.

“We appreciate the recognition from U.S. News & World Report for our important role in providing high-quality maternity care to Newton and surrounding counties,” said Lindsey Petrini, chief executive officer of Piedmont Newton Hospital. “This is a critical service for our area and will continue to be as the population grows in Covington and beyond.”

“The Maternity Care Access Hospital designation is a crucial acknowledgement of hospitals that deliver high-quality maternity care in underserved areas,” said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “These 147 hospitals are essential – they meet U.S. News’ strict quality measures for safety and outcomes while simultaneously ensuring that geographical isolation does not prevent families from receiving the care they need.”